Tracer gas endpoint-monitored sinter systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865618-B2
Application number	US-201817251866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Dec 26, 2018
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

An example sinter system includes a sinter gas inlet at a sinter furnace for a sinter gas, a tracer gas inlet at the sinter furnace for a tracer gas different from the sinter gas, and an outlet at the sinter furnace to output the sinter gas and the tracer gas. The example sinter system further includes: a support structure to support a sample green object in the sinter furnace, an opening at the support structure connected to the tracer gas inlet, the opening to output the tracer gas into the sinter furnace, and a detector to: determine an amount of the tracer gas flowing through the outlet during a sinter process as a sample green object positioned on the support structure changes shape during the sinter process with respect to the opening and modifies a flow rate of the tracer gas to the outlet; and determine when to stop the sinter process based on a determined amount of the tracer gas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sinter system comprising:
a sinter gas inlet at a sinter furnace for a sinter gas;
a tracer gas inlet at the sinter furnace for a tracer gas different from the sinter gas;
an outlet at the sinter furnace to output the sinter gas and the tracer gas;
a support structure to support a sample green object in the sinter furnace;
an opening at the support structure connected to the tracer gas inlet, the opening to output the tracer gas into the sinter furnace;
a detector to determine an amount of the tracer gas flowing through the outlet during a sinter process as the sample green object positioned on the support structure changes shape during the sinter process with respect to the opening and modifies a flow rate of the tracer gas to the outlet; and
a controller in communication with the detector, the controller to determine when to stop the sinter process based on a determined amount of the tracer gas.

2. The sinter system of claim 1 , further comprising a notification device to provide a notification based on the determined amount of the tracer gas.

3. The sinter system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to stop the sinter process based on the determined amount of the tracer gas.

4. The sinter system of claim 1 , wherein the opening is at an upward surface of the support structure.

5. The sinter system of claim 1 , wherein the opening is connected to the sinter gas inlet via a tube or a gas channel in the support structure.

6. A sinter system comprising:
a support structure to support a sample green object in a sinter furnace;
an opening at a surface of the support structure, the opening to provide a path through the sinter furnace for a tracer gas different from a sinter gas; and
a detector to determine an amount of the tracer gas flowing through the opening during a sinter process as the sample green object positioned on the support structure changes shape during the sinter process with respect to the opening and modifies a flow rate of the tracer gas through the opening; and
a controller in communication with the detector, the controller to determine when to stop the sinter process based on a determined amount of the tracer gas.

7. The sinter system of claim 6 , wherein the sample green object is to shrink relative to the opening to uncover the opening during the sinter process to modify the flow rate of the tracer gas through the opening.

8. The sinter system of claim 6 , wherein the sample green object includes an aperture to be arranged to align with the opening prior to the sinter process, the sample green object to shrink relative to the opening during the sinter process to cover the opening via movement of the aperture to modify the flow rate of the tracer gas through the opening.

9. The sinter system of claim 6 , wherein the sample green object includes a sag portion to be arranged to align with the opening prior to the sinter process, the sag portion to sag onto the opening during the sinter process to cover the opening to modify the flow rate of the tracer gas through the opening.

10. The sinter system of claim 6 , wherein the sample green object includes a thick portion and a thin portion extending from the thick portion, the thin portion to be arranged to cover the opening prior to the sinter process, the thin portion to uncover the opening during the sinter process to modify the flow rate of the tracer gas through the opening.

11. A sinter system comprising:
a support structure to support a sample green object in a sinter furnace;
an opening at a surface of the support structure, the opening to provide a path through the sinter furnace for a tracer gas different from a sinter gas; and
a registration datum at the support structure to align the sample green object with the opening;
a detector to determine an amount of the tracer gas flowing through the opening during a sinter process as the sample green object positioned on the support structure changes shape during the sinter process with respect to the opening and modifies a flow rate of the tracer gas through the opening; and
a controller in communication with the detector, the controller to determine when to stop the sinter process based on a determined amount of the tracer gas.

12. The sinter system of claim 11 , wherein the registration datum comprises a protrusion from the support structure, adjacent to the opening, to locate the sample green object adjacent to the opening.

13. The sinter system of claim 11 , wherein the registration datum comprises an indentation or a hole in the support structure, adjacent to the opening, to mate with a corresponding portion of the sample green object.

14. The sinter system of claim 11 , wherein the registration datum comprises a ramp in the support structure, the opening being in the ramp.

15. The sinter system of claim 11 , wherein the detector is located at an outlet of the sinter furnace or at a pump to draw the tracer gas and the sinter gas out of the sinter furnace.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Champion David A
• Liebeskind John Gary

Classifications

• B22F3/003 Primary

  Apparatus, e.g. furnaces (in general F27B) · CPC title

• B22F3/101

  Changing atmosphere · CPC title

• B22F3/1007

  Atmosphere (B22F3/1021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B22F3/1021

  Removal of binder or filler (removal of binder from ceramics C04B35/638) · CPC title

• B22F10/322

  of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction · CPC title